Brick flooring in London Town

Last week we sent the lads south of the Watford gap to have a look at a few bricks laying around on a client's floor. Turns out, the home was being renovated by a rather successful architect and rather than employ the local boys to clean the floor, he called the professionals...from Cambridge.

So, they hopped in the van and headed down the M11.

Now, I wasn't there and the lads'll deny it if I ask, so I have to assume they listened to ABBA and Dancing Queen most of the way and once they arrived, gruffed it up and put on their best Landana accents, so as best to fit in.

This is what they found.

On the surface of it and to an untrained eye, you might think, OK, it's not so bad, all it really needs is a good mopping and a decent scrubbing....but you'd be wrong.

This delightful image below is in actuality, just a fraction of the dirt, old sealer and general rubbish that the boys found themselves scouring from the brickwork.

NOTE: Sealer is NOT easy to remove!

After a darn good scrubbing (and I'm talking, without exaggeration - 15 washes), soaking, agitating, aggravating (generally annoying the floor) with rotary steamers and with six fans going, the brick floor began to dry and take on a completely new lease on life.

Praise from our client: "I've never seen the floor look so good, even after it was first lain and sealed".

As ever and case in point. If you want the job done fine, call your buddy Frank, if you want the job done right, call the professionals.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Tips for Sealing & Cleaning Terracotta Tiles

1. The Traditional Method: Find Out if They’re Porous

It’s important to check if your tiles have become porous. This will happen from time to time over the years, but it’s easily remedied. To see if your terracotta is porous, just place a bit of water in the middle of a tile. If after about 15 minutes the water soaks through, it’s time to treat them with boiled linseed oil. It’s a good idea to check the porosity of terracotta every year or so. Boiled linseed oil is the traditional method to help with protecting terracotta tiles and gives the tiles a sheen; it darken the tiles naturally, too, as well giving them a lovely ‘been there forever’ sort of look.

2. How to Apply Boiled Linseed Oil to Terracotta Tiles

If you find you need to improve the water-tightness of your terracotta tiles, then here’s how you apply boiled linseed oil: clean the floor with a PH neutral soap, then mop or wipe to dry as best as possible and leave to dry fully (this can take a day or so). Once the tiles are perfectly clean and dry, work warm linseed oil with a paint brush into the whole area ensuring it covers all nooks and crannies (as well as the grout). After about 20 minutes check to see if there is any excess. If there is, re-work this into the tiles until the covering is equal across the floor. Now leave the floor for about 8 hours (or even a bit more) for the linseed oil to soak in and repeat the process of applying boiled linseed oil. This time, after 20 minutes take a dry rag and remove any excess oil to ensure an even finish (if excess oil is left it can collect and cause streaks).

3. How to Seal Terracotta Tiles

Unsealed tiles can obviously look super-charming, but if laid in a kitchen they can quickly become stained and grubby with general day-to-day use, spills (wine or olive oil, invariably…) and wear. In other rooms you may decide to not treat and seal terracotta tiles and just seal them.
If you do decide that sealing the tiles is the way forward so that they're protected and easy to clean, use a protective finish (ideally oil-based) as this works well with the linseed oil.

Sourced from: http://www.reclaimedtilecompany.com

If your floor requires a deeper clean and maintenance contact Art of Clean for more information on our services on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.